[4] Lyndhurst Terrace and the surrounding area were the location of some of the earliest brothels established in Hong Kong,[5][6][7][8] in the mid-19th century.

Western prostitutes concentrated there, while Chinese brothels were located in the Tai Ping Shan area near Po Hing Fong.

[10][11] The original Site of Xing Yan Lou Western Restaurant (杏讌樓西菜館) was located at 2 Lyndhurst Terrace.

The restaurant was a historical meeting place for Dr Sun Yat-sen when he was studying at the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese,[12] from where he graduated in 1892, and a refuge for revolutionaries outside Hong Kong, who took part in the failed "1895 Guangzhou uprising" (廣州起義) against the Qing dynasty in Guangzhou.

[16] It later received intense media attention[17] when it closed in May 2005, citing increasing rent,[18][19] reaching HK$80,000 per month.